- 2 hours ago
Christmas at Leeds Castle: A Winter Wonderland (2025)
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00Inside, stands the enchanting Leeds Castle.
00:05Inside these gates lie 900 years of rich, regal history.
00:11And every Christmas, a magical transformation begins.
00:18They're really pushing me, Nicole. 30 seconds.
00:21Staff and volunteers have just two weeks...
00:24It's all about making it as magical as possible.
00:27...to turn imagination into reality.
00:29The pressure is always on.
00:33As entire worlds take shape.
00:36Oh, I think they're gonna fly.
00:39They're gonna fly? Yeah.
00:41Oh, my goodness.
00:42Oh, it all comes to life. This is incredible.
00:45Behind age-old doors.
00:48Oh, wow.
00:50And the castle grounds are brought to life
00:52with dazzling winter spectacle.
00:54We really are at the mercy of the elements.
00:56Sometimes we get lucky and sometimes we don't.
00:59This is the castle's most ambitious makeover yet.
01:02Actually, it feels like the start of Christmas.
01:04Yes, I like it!
01:06As you can imagine, very rushed at the moment.
01:11Switch on the Christmas lights outside.
01:13Welcome.
01:14To Christmas at Leeds Castle.
01:18Leeds Castle.
01:19Leeds Castle has been a home to extravagance for nearly a thousand years.
01:33A fortress, a palace, a prison and a sanctuary for some of England's most remarkable queens and dignitaries.
01:43Generation after generation has left its mark on these walls.
01:49But this Christmas, today's castle custodians are attempting a reinvention like never before.
02:03They're planning to create Neverland, straight out of the pages of the Peter Pan storybooks.
02:08Up we, guys.
02:21For head of PR and marketing Nicole Moore and events manager Sarah Moraghan, creating Christmas here is their greatest challenge yet.
02:29Got to get so much in in quick time so we can get moving.
02:35This is my fourth Christmas.
02:38We've transformed the castle into a magical land, really.
02:43So we've got our maintenance team coming over to deliver lots of trees and lots of different parts.
02:49Our floristry team has arrived, delivering everything for different sets.
02:53We've got Christmas lights within the grounds all taking place.
02:56Gosh, we've got lots moving, lots of different parts.
02:59It's a bit of a chaotic morning.
03:01Everyone's kind of jumping in and then we'll start to kind of see where things go and how to bring it to life.
03:09Take that one.
03:15In the boxes are the big Christmas tree that's going in the courtyard.
03:19Our lovely volunteers are going to help stuff them, create them and bring them to life, which is really exciting.
03:26Everyone's feeling the pressure, the pressure, the pressure.
03:30It could be next Christmas this is up.
03:45With just two weeks to go before the grand opening, it's all hands on decks for volunteers Dan and Sally and castle storyteller Sophie.
03:52This is for the huge, huge Christmas tree in the courtyard there.
03:58The basic framework is up and now we need to just start decorating it, getting all the branches on, the baubles and the tinsel and huge amounts of glitter I'm sure on this tree.
04:06It's a real work of art and it's a real wow factor for when people come in.
04:12There's a lot of work just on one item and then it's all over the castle.
04:19It's a true British big event.
04:22That's what it's all about, making it as magical as possible.
04:25It just brings everyone together.
04:26In the castle grounds, a 50-strong crew is tasked with building a magical light trail, an eye-popping installation of 45,000 bulbs and illuminations designed to wow the crowds.
04:43Hiya!
04:45You're winning.
04:47For giving a mile-long trail its festive sparkle is a logistical beast and production manager Sam House is right at the heart of it.
04:56Some of the challenges that people don't necessarily think about are squirrels eating cables, ducks eating cables, swans intimidating members of staff.
05:07Having so much nature on site, it means that you just have to kind of coexist with them and that's fine.
05:13Yeah, the weather and the wildlife, basically.
05:18Overseeing operations is associate producer Alicia Sargent, who has to run a tight ship whatever the weather.
05:24We really are at the mercy of the elements and sometimes we get lucky and sometimes we don't.
05:29See, I've worked here before and I knew how beautiful this would be for a light trail and, you know, nothing says Christmas more than light.
05:37But Alicia and the team aren't the only ones who've played a part in lighting up Leeds Castle.
05:45Nearly a century ago, one woman set about transforming it into one of the most dazzling homes in the country.
05:51Keeping her legacy alive today is curator Catherine Pell.
05:55Olive Lady Bailey was an extremely wealthy Anglo-American heiress who bought Leeds Castle with her second husband in 1926 and set about turning it into her 20th century country retreat for herself, her family and her friends to enjoy.
06:11Hollywood royalty stayed at Leeds Castle, so Noel Coward, David Niven, Errol Flynn, as well as Charlie Chaplin.
06:22Christmas was a big event here at Leeds Castle. Its parties were famous.
06:28People from across the estate who worked very hard for Lady Bailey were invited into the castle.
06:32Well, here we are in the salon here at Leeds Castle and a key entertaining site during Lady Bailey's heyday.
06:43Lady Bailey hosted every year a very big event designed for the children and this is where they got their presents.
06:51Gift giving for Christmas was a very serious affair and in our archive we have the names of the individual children, their ages, the gift they're given for Christmas.
07:02and how much was spent.
07:06This is the private dining room at Leeds Castle. This is very likely where her family enjoyed their Christmas meal.
07:13In our archive we have menus that date for the 1920s and 1930s. Turkey with truffle, quail for evening and then there's the petit four later on.
07:24When Lady Bailey died in 1974, she left the castle and grounds to a specially created charity to preserve the estate for future generations to enjoy.
07:38And bringing that joy to life for Christmas are Nicole and Sarah who are contending with the arrival of a larger than life Neverland prop.
07:52It's a lot bigger than what I was expecting.
07:59So this is Nana's dog kennel. So it's a darling children's nursemaid, which is a dog. So we're taking it into the servants' hall. Probably not going to be able to, but maybe.
08:09The centuries-old door frame is too narrow for the huge kennel.
08:22There's always something every year. You don't know what it's going to be. And at the moment, it's Nana's house.
08:29You can get it through once the roof is off.
08:32Give us half an hour. We'll have a plan in action, I'm sure.
08:38Yay!
08:39All right. Go on, get out now, please.
08:41Be careful, be careful, be careful.
08:47Coming up, eight metres of festive magic takes shape in the castle courtyard.
08:53Well, guys, that's absolutely phenomenal progress. Well done.
08:56Priceless artefacts need relocating.
08:59It's a jaunty angle.
09:00It is a jaunty angle.
09:02And it's lights, cameras and hopefully action as Neverland edges closer to completion.
09:07We haven't fixed the projector. Our director's coming round in about 17 minutes.
09:25In just over a week, over 100,000 people will be flooding through Leeds Castle's doors, hoping to see the spectacle of the year.
09:33Thanks, Gem.
09:35But transforming this place into Peter Pan's Neverland began in the height of summer.
09:42For the event teams, Nicole and Sarah.
09:48Sorry, I'm being dramatic here, because...
09:49It feels a bit strange talking and doing Christmas in August.
10:01How do I look?
10:03No, that doesn't fit. The ears are too big.
10:04The goal and the purpose of today really is to create a Neverland experience teaser. We want to kind of really showcase what the event will be for our visitors for our big Christmas in the castle experience.
10:18Yeah, not giving too much away, are we?
10:20Our dynamic is to work besties with, like, a slither of sisterhood.
10:25Obviously, it's August. It's hot. It's not snowy.
10:31So we're just trying to figure out what the best scene is, how... really how to kind of bring it to life.
10:40I think I just smashed one.
10:43We'll do it that way.
10:44Is it heritage? Is it an antique?
10:46No, I don't think it's an antique. Don't get me in trouble.
10:50I like to call it joyfully chaotic, because it's such a lovely experience working on Christmas, but you never really know what's going to happen.
10:59It might be summertime, but the team need to create the visuals for their Neverland marketing campaign.
11:06This is like the calm before the storm doing the photo shoot. We get to test Christmas without the time pressure.
11:11Oh, wow!
11:16Oh, you look amazing. You look amazing.
11:21Oh, my goodness.
11:23Oh, it all comes to life. This is incredible.
11:32What I want to do is get Peter on the stepladder so it looks like he's flying from behind.
11:39Then we'll throw snow on them, just so it feels like they're in London.
11:47But with tourists arriving by the busload, the team need to finish up fast.
11:53The tour is coming, guys. We need to wrap it up.
11:5630 seconds.
11:58You're really pushing me, Nicole. 30 seconds.
12:0030 seconds.
12:02Done.
12:04Yeah, beautiful. That's good.
12:05Can we go in?
12:07You can go in, yeah. Just be careful on the way in.
12:1130 seconds.
12:12Every year.
12:1330 seconds.
12:1430 seconds.
12:22With launch night fast approaching, the castle has closed its doors to the public for three days, giving curator Catherine and her team a small window to make sure Christmas can enter the castle while keeping the precious artifacts undamaged.
12:34Right now, we're moving quite a lot of furniture along this corridor into a temporary store. And what we don't want to do is we don't want to cross over with visitors. So if we just mind out a little bit to give Barley the space. Thank you. Thanks, guys.
12:49We don't want the collection to be at risk, though it's moved safely to one side or out of the room completely.
12:56So just mind the height.
13:03It's a jaunty angle.
13:05It is a jaunty angle.
13:06And for head curator Sue Pritchard, it's a chance to reflect on the 900 years of history gone by.
13:14One of the favorite things about my job is always being able to walk beyond the red rope barrier.
13:23It's really exciting this time of year to see the rooms emptied because it gives you a new perspective on the castle and its interiors.
13:33It also gives you a sensibility of what a medieval castle would have looked like.
13:39Lee's Castle has been shaped by remarkable women since the Middle Ages, beginning with a structural overhaul in the 13th century.
13:47So Eleanor Castile is the first female owner of Lee's Castle.
13:52And she's responsible basically for the castle looking the way it does today in terms of the Gloriette.
13:57She was a phenomenal businesswoman.
14:00And her ownership of the castle basically sets the tone for subsequent medieval queens, which is why it's known as the Queen's Castle.
14:11A century after Eleanor of Castile transformed the stone fortress into a lavish royal residence, along came a fearless yet fortunate future queen.
14:19So Anne of Bohemia traveled from Prague to marry Richard II, and she has a terrible crossing of the Channel.
14:30She arrives at Dover as she disembarks her ship.
14:33It's actually destroyed in an enormous wave against the harbour, and then she eventually arrives at Lee's Castle.
14:41She's about to marry a man that she's never met before, and she's spending her first Christmas away from her home, away from her family.
14:49And Anne brings with her all the trappings and experience of a cosmopolitan European court.
14:59She has a significant impact in terms of fashion, literature, and visual culture.
15:06And when it came to culinary culture, our medieval queens enjoyed some festive traditions that still exist today,
15:25including a precursor to Christmas pudding known as frumenti.
15:28Sue is joining fellow curator Catherine to rustle up a version from a castle cookbook commissioned by Richard II.
15:36This is a type of frumenti that you would have on a fasting day.
15:41So, basically, you would have this during Advent, when you're paying penance before the festive season.
15:46Bulger wheat, stock, milk, egg, and saffron are complemented by a medieval speciality.
15:53Frumenti would have been flavoured with fish.
15:55And when I say fish, that includes things like porpoise and whale.
16:00So, we don't have that with us today.
16:02We have got the porpoise today.
16:03We're making a more basic version.
16:04But luckily, we do have some very nice spices and some fruits and so on.
16:08Well, that's the beauty of frumenti, because it can actually be a sweet dish or a savoury dish.
16:13So, as we understand it, frumenti evolved into plum pudding and Christmas pudding today,
16:18and there are similarities, aren't there?
16:19There are, absolutely.
16:20It is the addition of those, you know, dried fruits, the spices, where you kind of really get the sense that actually you are preparing for Christmas.
16:30Mmm.
16:31Mmm.
16:32Oh, it's sweet.
16:33Mmm.
16:34It's sweet.
16:35It's really sweet.
16:36Mmm.
16:37I wouldn't say no.
16:38I'm enjoying it.
16:39It was one of my courses at Christmas.
16:40Mmm.
16:41Mmm.
16:42Mmm.
16:43Over at the castle's gift shop, retail and admissions manager Louise Ashton and supervisor Lynn Jones are excited about some sweet treats of their own.
17:03Hi, Lynn.
17:04Can you believe it?
17:05It's finally arrived, so this is our Neverland range.
17:10Neverland mugs, fridge magnets and notebooks are among the goodies that will add to the seasonal offerings.
17:16That looks so nice, doesn't it?
17:19With a cut of every sale going to support Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Leeds Castle's charity partner this year.
17:27Second to the right and straight until morning.
17:30These are good.
17:32Oh, I think they're going to fly.
17:35They're going to fly.
17:36Yeah.
17:37They're gorgeous.
17:42The world of Peter Pan was created by author J.M. Barry, whose lasting legacy was to donate the proceeds of its success to the Children's Hospital in 1929.
17:52To learn more, Nicole is heading to London to meet Liz Tate, the charity's director of fundraising.
18:01Hello.
18:02This was the original letter that J.M. Barry sent to us, and this was him very politely declining to join the hospital committee, but saying at a future time he might find a way to support us.
18:18He probably didn't know then the longevity and the size of the gift that that would become.
18:24We can't wait to see how Neverland develops at Leeds Castle, and indeed how you bring the characters to life.
18:39So exciting, and I really hope we do you proud.
18:45And the funds raised from this year's Peter Pan experience will help families like Elle and her daughter Ruby.
18:51You've gone all shy.
18:55Yay!
18:56Ruby lives with a rare disease that affects her internal organs, and the hospital has supported them through both of her Christmases here.
19:07First Christmas she was here because it was before we got her diagnosis, so she was very little.
19:12And then last Christmas she was an inpatient, but we did get home leave.
19:17We are just so unbelievably grateful because it sure has been instrumental in her development as it's come along.
19:27Visiting the hospital has been very emotional.
19:32It just brings a lot more purpose as to why we're doing what we're doing,
19:35and making us really proud to be able to support as much as we can.
19:47Back at the castle, the eight metre tree is taking shape.
19:51Thanks to the help of over 130 volunteers like Ian.
19:57I've been to Leeds Castle for 20-plus years.
20:00It's totally my escape.
20:01I mean, my husband always knows when I'm coming in to volunteer,
20:03because I'm always smiling.
20:04It's much of a good coming in.
20:05I've experienced Christmas here as a visitor many years,
20:08but this will be my first time helping out and seeing how it all gets put together, so it's great.
20:14Are we ready for these girls?
20:16I think we are.
20:17It's really hard.
20:20And with the final branches put in place...
20:24Well, guys, that's absolutely phenomenal progress. Well done.
20:28The castle's courtyard centerpiece is finally complete.
20:31But inside, there's still a long way to go.
20:53High up in her turret, seamstress Michelle Sheehan and her helpers
20:56are busy creating the magical set designs that will transform the castle into Neverland.
21:03To the left.
21:08So, we're going to find the lost boy room.
21:12Not the lost seamstress room.
21:15We might have to ask directions.
21:16If we lay that out and we'll just see what's going to go where.
21:21Oh, yeah.
21:25That's quite a couple of pants.
21:28Michelle's plan to finish off the lost boy's room has been waylaid.
21:32The call came from events.
21:36We've got a huge nana dog.
21:37We've got a kennel that's huge.
21:39Can you make some cushions and some curtains for that?
21:44The impact's just thrown the whole plans in my head that I had today.
21:50Do you fit in there?
21:53Oh, right. Oh, my goodness.
21:54Here's my bottom.
21:56Oh, my word.
22:00If it's good enough for me, it's good enough for nana.
22:03Maybe you could make this your new sewing room.
22:06I've done two major Christmases and it literally, I've been sweeping out of the room
22:13as guests are coming around.
22:17So, it's just...
22:18Yeah, it's just...
22:20But it won't only be me doing last-minute things.
22:22Everybody will be running around.
22:25With two days to go, Nicole and Sarah are preparing for directors Mark and Lucy's first inspection.
22:33This is like the entrance to Neverland.
22:35It needs to be amazing.
22:37It will be.
22:39The pressure is always on to get everything perfect.
22:43Once completed, the room will showcase an image of Peter Pan flying, using a projector.
22:49If they can get it to work.
22:51I actually don't think this controller's working.
22:54Is there, like, something magical that's meant to happen straight away?
23:00Oh, my God.
23:02Oh, my God.
23:06I feel a bit nervous about this, Sarah.
23:08Can you just hold on to it, then?
23:10How? Get into the trunk.
23:14Oh, my God.
23:16Sorry, can I just giggle for a moment?
23:19Have you got a radio? Can you call on call maintenance?
23:22Marketing to maintenance.
23:24Proceed.
23:26Hi, can we get some urgent help on the servants' hall?
23:28One of the trees is about to collapse and die.
23:31Oh, Dave, we really need your help, please.
23:33How are you?
23:34Watch.
23:35It falls.
23:37That's issue number one.
23:38But issue number two is, this is the projector from the salon and we just can't get it to work.
23:42I would say issue number one's the main issue right now.
23:45Okay.
23:47You're not anymore.
23:50Skipping, like, the red light of death.
23:53Are we straight?
23:55I mean, I think as long as it's not falling down, it's a win.
24:02Dan, you're a hero.
24:04I don't know what's happened to this tree, but it's very wonky.
24:07We haven't fixed the projector.
24:14Our director's coming round in about 17 minutes to see the finished product.
24:26Coming up, imaginations run wild when Chef Taz presents a Neverland-themed afternoon tea.
24:33Oh, thank you.
24:35Oh, my goodness.
24:37The lights team battle the weather as the big event draws near.
24:41We really are at the mercy of the elements.
24:43And it's events director Mark's inspection, but will the Peter Panrams impress?
24:48Mark, you're not overly...
24:51I don't quite see it being, you know, the vision that I thought it was going to be.
25:02In Kent, the clock is ticking for the staff and volunteers who are turning Leeds Castle into Neverland, ready for Christmas.
25:20I'm not a perfectionist, but just sometimes things catch my eye.
25:25Oh, I know.
25:28Outside, Alicia and the light trail team are working hard to ensure their luminescent winter wonderland is ready to wow guests on opening night.
25:41This is all pinned back, so all of this swagging will come down.
25:45You'll kind of wade through it. It'll be really cool.
25:47It's taken loads of people to get this trail up and running.
25:52We've just worked months and months on this.
25:55I think it's our strongest year yet.
26:01We're here for such a long time.
26:03We arrive in October and we leave in January.
26:05Sometimes I can be around here by myself late at night with everything turned on and I think, gosh, I'm so lucky.
26:15It's just fantastic.
26:25But it's a different story in the castle.
26:27Sarah and Nicole are about to receive marketing and events director Mark for the senior team's first inspection of Neverland.
26:36You know what will distract them?
26:37This little bauble.
26:38This tiny bauble here.
26:46So yesterday when I came in.
26:48Yeah.
26:49The tree was like that.
26:50Yeah.
26:51Now it's like that.
26:52So the tree actually drank a little bit and it just decided to tip.
26:57It just needs to untip and it'll be straight again.
27:01Okay.
27:02Anything damaged?
27:03Maybe a bauble.
27:04That's all right.
27:05We can get this solved, fixed in time.
27:08We've got two days, Mark.
27:09Okay.
27:10We've got plenty of time.
27:11Don't you worry.
27:12I trust you guys.
27:13Ignoring that over there.
27:15Yeah.
27:16Yeah.
27:17It's only a slight issue.
27:18A wonky issue.
27:19Yeah.
27:20As the walk gets off to a slightly skew-whist start, it's not long before the big bosses are blown away by some Lost Boys magic.
27:29Oh, this is special.
27:30This is really nice.
27:31Oh, wow.
27:32Oh, wow.
27:33Look at this.
27:34This is absolutely incredible.
27:35This is absolutely incredible.
27:36This looks amazing.
27:37This looks really good.
27:38Yeah.
27:39Yeah.
27:40I'm really happy with it, I think.
27:41Should be really proud.
27:42I mean, it's just the detail, isn't it?
27:43It's incredible.
27:44A pair of furry pants as well.
27:45Who donated?
27:46Who donated?
27:47Who donated?
27:48Who donated?
27:49Who donated?
27:50Who donated?
27:51Who donated?
27:52But just as the Grand Tour starts to get warmed up, the Mermaid's Lagoon puts a dampener on things.
28:08Mark, you're giving energy that you're not overly...
28:14Energy.
28:15Are you a fan of this room?
28:16No.
28:17This room was always my favourite room in the sketches, in the designs.
28:21I think there's a bit more work to be done on it.
28:24I don't quite see it being, you know, the vision that I thought it was going to be.
28:29I trust them.
28:30I think we're going to get this.
28:31I think so, too.
28:32By the end of tomorrow.
28:38Creating magic inside these rooms has never been easy.
28:41But five centuries ago, King Henry VIII invested vast sums of money into renovating Leeds Castle for his first wife.
28:51Intellectual and influential, Catherine of Aragon was central to shaping Henry's early reign.
28:56The main player in our story is Catherine of Aragon because she is a strong female role model, not only at the time but also today.
29:06She helped forge his idea of kingship.
29:09While there's no record of Henry and Catherine spending Christmas at Leeds Castle, the union of the Tudor power couple left a lasting mark.
29:20So here you have the carved Tudor fireplace and you've also got the Tudor rose.
29:26But I think more importantly, what you've got over here is Catherine of Aragon's coat of arms.
29:32Castle of Castile, which is where she was born and brought up, so in commission in the fireplace.
29:38Henry is really symbolising the importance of these two royal houses.
29:44Christmas was the perfect festival for both Henry and Catherine.
29:53For Catherine, because she is incredibly religious.
29:56And for Henry, it gave him a chance to be the consummate performer, dressing up his gift-giving on a monumental, magnificent scale.
30:05Tudor Christmases were basically a sensory overload.
30:10You would have had an enormous table of food, some of which we would recognise today.
30:14Henry VIII is recorded as the first monarch to indulge in the act of eating turkey at Christmas.
30:21And traditionally, peacock would have been served at the Tudor table.
30:27But turkey was considered more tasty, more succulent and less stringy.
30:32So you would have seen a table grown in with extraordinary amounts of meat.
30:38So you would have had an amazing experience at the Tudor Christmas dinner.
30:45Preparing a lighter meal today is Leeds Castle's food and beverage team,
30:49who are about to launch their Neverland-themed afternoon tea.
30:55I love my job because it's not just a restaurant for me, it's a home for me as well.
31:00Every day is a new challenge over here.
31:02With advanced bookings growing by the day,
31:04Chef Taz Singh has been working closely with Francis Lai and the rest of the marketing team.
31:09And every sweet and savoury treat has been inspired by J.M. Barry's iconic work.
31:14Have you ever read the book?
31:15No, I will not lie to you. I've never read the book, but just watched the movie.
31:19Since arriving at Leeds Castle from India, Taz has fully embraced the British festive season.
31:25It's going to be my third Christmas. Obviously it was a different thing for me,
31:29because like Christmas in India is not a big thing.
31:31Being a part of that Christmas time is like very lucky for me,
31:34where I can see where people are giving gifts to each other and what exactly Christmas is.
31:39But not all Christmases at Leeds Castle were a celebratory, especially for one of its previous occupants.
31:51Joan of Navarre was imprisoned in Leeds Castle from 1420 to 1422.
31:57She fell out spectacularly with her stepson, Henry V.
32:00He accused Joan of basically witchcraft.
32:06He confiscates her lands, her property and her money.
32:09She did have an allowance.
32:12And so her time at Leeds, although it was luxurious,
32:17it would have been very much underpinned by a sense of anxiety around her fate.
32:22So in front of us we have possibly the most precious and indeed the oldest object in the Leeds Castle archive.
32:32It's the wardrobe book of Joan of Navarre during her imprisonment at Leeds Castle.
32:37The wardrobe book is basically an inventory of Joan of Navarre's expenditure during this period.
32:44And we know that she spent some of her allowance on fine linen from farmers,
32:52on a black satin gown trimmed with grey squirrel fur.
32:56The wardrobe book illustrates how Joan was using luxury goods to basically give us some sense of comfort.
33:06But what it doesn't give us is Joan's voice.
33:08We don't know how she was feeling.
33:10She would have had this awful potential sentence of death on accusation of witchcraft hanging over her
33:18through the two years that she was imprisoned here at Leeds.
33:24Once the threat of being burnt at the stake was lifted,
33:27Joan was freed and lived a quiet life in Nottingham with full run of the castle there.
33:31Today, the castle's custodians face a different kind of material challenge,
33:43and seamstress Michelle has Tinkerbell creations coming out of her ears.
33:48I need 11 smaller tassels.
33:50There's 11.
33:51So 5 and 4 and 4.
33:53Or is that 13?
33:54I need some tassels.
33:5613, yeah.
33:57That's why I do sewing and not work in a bank.
34:02Right, so Tinkerbell skirt to do.
34:06I have still 16 metres of bunting to hang with tassels.
34:12Um, gosh, time's cracking on. I'm sure, I'm sure it'll be done.
34:18And although her list is as long as the bunting she still has to sew,
34:22it's all worthwhile for Michelle.
34:25My dad, um, before he passed, he lived with me,
34:29and I'd come home and tell him things that I was doing at the castle,
34:32and he'd say, I'd be going, I did this at my castle,
34:36and he's going, it's not your castle, but everything, oh, it's at my castle,
34:39and he used to tell everybody that this was my castle.
34:42It is a privilege to work here.
34:45Um, and I'm not just saying that.
34:47I think that isn't genuinely true, actually.
34:51Over in the restaurant, it's crunch time for Taz and Francis,
34:54as their Neverland-themed afternoon tea is about to be taste-tested
34:58by castle staff and volunteers.
35:03Exciting?
35:04Very much so.
35:07You nervous for them to see it?
35:09No, no fear.
35:13And imaginations are running wild in the dining area
35:16as to what delights are about to be served.
35:20What did you say? Alligator steak?
35:22Alligator steak, yeah.
35:23No, crocodile steak. Crocodile steak sandwiches.
35:26Well, there's got to be a clock.
35:28I'm thinking fairy cakes.
35:29Don't need fairy cakes.
35:30Tinkerbell cakes.
35:31Tinkerbell cakes.
35:32We're going to call them tink cakes.
35:33Tinkerbell cakes.
35:39Oh, thank you.
35:40Oh, my goodness.
35:41Oh, look at this.
35:42Oh, wow.
35:43Wow.
35:44Hope you enjoy it.
35:45Look at that.
35:46Thank you so much.
35:47Oh, that looks amazing.
35:50Is this a lucky look there?
35:52I think so.
35:53I'm definitely savoury,
35:54so my eyes are focused very much down here at the moment.
35:56Sounds good.
35:57Sounds great.
35:58Yes.
35:59Oh, that's good.
36:03Is that a good one?
36:04That's beautiful.
36:05Mmm.
36:10As the room falls silent with preoccupied diners,
36:13it's time to reflect on the greater cause.
36:17To have that link and give proceeds to Great Ormond Street Hospital,
36:20and particularly for me with my background as a nurse,
36:22it's really important that actually we do whatever we can
36:25to try and help these charities out there.
36:28I think the team's done a great job at bringing it to life
36:30through the taste and the flavours and the theming of it.
36:35Absolutely smashed it.
36:36Done a great job for artists and Taz.
36:38Well done.
36:39Absolutely.
36:42I'm so invigorated.
36:45Literally final stretch now until we're all finished.
36:47Yeah.
36:48And then, yeah, roll on it all open.
36:50It's been an opening.
36:51Yeah.
36:52Oh, wow.
36:53Now it's got the X Factor.
36:54And thousands of hours of exhausting work.
36:58As you can imagine, very rushed at the moment.
37:00Please, can you switch on the Christmas lights outside?
37:02Culminate in a nerve-jangling moment of truth
37:03on Leeds Castle's biggest night of the year.
37:08After months of hard work and dedication.
37:09Christmas at Leeds Castle in Kent.
37:10Christmas at Leeds Castle in Kent.
37:11Christmas at Leeds Castle in Kent.
37:12Is just around the corner.
37:13Is just around the corner.
37:14How I just1990 night of the night percentile.
37:15You might use a wall.
37:16I just wear mum's nice for this place.
37:17Right gone listening.
37:18Up to the moon.
37:19You might not have a thousand things from the Christmas lights outside.
37:21I told your mum.
37:22I felt dumb at the yellow mountain road.
37:23Time back to Woodland and Willeyy and Excellent Green.
37:27Yeah,
37:28And she came as well and I was just proud of the night of the year.
37:32What?
37:33I threw him all this in ten years ago.
37:34ì–´ì œ .
37:35I love eating real food for peace.
37:37And I'm so interrupted.
37:38It's all about me because I'm holy sweet for love
37:39and I'm very smart.
37:40How am I mel Later and we're dying?
37:41This day.
37:42You're really stoked.
37:43imagine very rushed at the moment. Every day it's full on. Retail supervisor Lynn Jones
37:50is preparing for the Christmas shoppers to descend. We have got 12,000 baubles on site
37:56right now. We need so many baubles because over the festive season we will probably end
38:01up with about 130,000 people through the doors. Most people are going to be buying a bauble.
38:09I've already bought this one and I have done my tree. I know it's early but I've already
38:14done it. It's just lovely, isn't it? With just a few hours to go, Nicole and Sarah are making
38:23their final tweaks to the Neverland rooms. Is that secure? Maybe. And director Mark wants
38:29one final peek before they open the doors. Oh wow. Now it's got the X Factor.
38:39Oh my God. This looks amazing. It looks good. You knew I was worried about this room. I
38:46just couldn't see it coming to life but you pulled out the bag. Looks amazing. This is
38:52a wow moment. Yeah and we'll finesse the lighting and things like that as well. Excellent. Well
38:57done. Yeah I'm happy with this. I really think people are going to love this. For Sarah, the
39:01months of hard work are finally paying off. This is my baby. We've been working on it
39:11for so long and me and the team. Goosebumps at the minute and a bit of nerves coming through
39:16but yeah I think the story is amazing. The link with Great Ormond Street Hospital is amazing.
39:22My team is absolutely amazing. And without any of them we wouldn't have got through the
39:27last two months really. So just really excited to open now.
39:29At long last Christmas at Leeds Castle is upon us.
39:44It's all coming together. We're nearly there. Nearly there.
39:50Nearly there. Nearly there. There you go Nan and Dog all done. Right that is the last thing
39:58as long as I turn my phone off. It's all the last thing. With 24 decorated trees, 1,600 shiny
40:06baubles, 500 feet of adorning fabric and 12,000 fairy lights in the castle alone, as the sun
40:13goes down it's time to amp the rest of the estate up. Events to production manager, please
40:20can you switch on the Christmas lights outside?
40:42Lots of happy people, happy families. The joy that people get out of it makes it all worthwhile.
40:48It is 100% worth it.
40:55We've done the castle, we've done the lights trail, we've had some lovely food. It's been
41:11really nice watching everybody having a lovely time. The people involved in it should all
41:15be really proud of themselves.
41:18It's the first time I've actually been to Leeds Castle and the effort that everyone must have
41:25put in, especially to the Neverland, is just awesome. I love the lights, I think the lights
41:27look really good. I like the flowers when you walked in. Despite the cold it's definitely worth it.
41:33We love it, it's beautiful, it's a good, it's nice, everything is ticked in boxes.
41:40It's just something to do for everyone, like for children, for our girls.
41:47It's like a mini winter wonderland. High five!
42:02Up at the castle, the delight continues. Yes, I like it!
42:10As the Neverland experience is well underway.
42:13Hi! Hi! Hello! Hi!
42:42Oh, it's been really lovely just walking around and a lot of this I've genuinely just seen for the first time.
42:54At the start of the week you just can't see it all coming together, but it's definitely working now.
42:58Actually it feels like the start of Christmas.
43:01It is really special to see how it's all come together and it's really brought in the Christmas spirit early this year.
43:07Thanks to J.M. Barrie's generous gesture almost a hundred years ago, the gift of Neverland continues to give in more ways than one.
43:16We've been really enjoyed today. It's really brought festive season to our family.
43:24All the team at Leeds Castle have done a fantastic job taking all the ideas and the characters from Neverland.
43:31They've really brought it to life. We want to do everything we can and enable the hospital to bring that bit of Christmas magic to children and families when they really need it.
43:41Being able to support Great Orange Street Hospital is beyond words really.
43:46It gives you such a purpose to why you're doing it and it makes it all the more important and all the more special.
43:53We can match the swords!
43:58It's just so nice to be able to actually help people within our jobs.
44:02As a successful Christmas launch draws to a close the staff and volunteers at Leeds Castle can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
44:11We've been planning Neverland at Leeds Castle for well over a year. A few tears, but all the time and effort that we've put in has just come to fruition tonight and everyone's really enjoyed it.
44:21We've gone through so much to get here today. I think there's always moments along the way where you think, gosh, is it going to happen?
44:28But the result is amazing at the end of it. I think this Christmas, it very might be one of the best yet.
44:35We'll see you next time.
44:36Bye.
Be the first to comment